


A Crack of Lightning

by Night-Mare (Aoife)



Series: Cracks 'verse - All [7]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Study, Dark fic, Estraneo being Estraneo, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Human Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Lal Mirch Has a Soldier's Filthy Mouth, POV Ganauche III, Sawada Iemitsu Being an Idiot, Side Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2018-11-16 02:49:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11244774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare
Summary: The sixth side fic toBetween the Cracksand a character study/development for Ganauche III in theCracks 'verse.The Ninth Generation starts to take notice of what's going on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Saj_te_Gyuhyall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saj_te_Gyuhyall/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Between the Cracks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10896882) by [Night-Mare (Aoife)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare). 



The Ring on his finger wasn't very much of a prize for all the bullshit that getting it had put him through; it wasn't the first of the Vongola Rings he'd tried on, and it wasn't the one he'd _wanted_ , but it was the one he'd gotten. Just _why_ did it have to be the Lightning Ring? He'd seen what the Lightnings were put through when he was younger and he'd been so relieved when he'd been identified as an Electric Sun; it had meant that he could train for medicine the way he'd wanted to, but no, the damn Rings had made it clear that he was in fact a Sunny Lightning and a 'meat shield'.

It didn't matter that he was more effective with his Sun Flames that Brow Nie Jr. was, because he actually knew human anatomy inside out, the only thing he was expected to do with his Flames was create a shield - and failing that, put himself between the Ninth and his attackers. No matter that he could see a dozen different ways to use the other's Flames to do that job more effectively, he had to sacrifice _himself_.

Funny how the Ninth had managed to keep four out of his six original Guardians, but had to replace his Sun and his Lightning - and his Lightning more than once. Talk about stereotypes. On the other hand, wearing the Ring did get him access to the archives he hadn't been allowed in before, and he could wander into almost any part of the Iron Fort and ask questions - and he did; he spent more time in the infirmary, honing his Sun Flames than Brow Nie Jr. did, and wading through the journals from Primo's day, looking for more information on the Lightning techniques that Lampo had used so effectively.

(The four original Guardians spent a lot of time around Timoteo, and it was the journals that explained _why_ ; or rather Lampo's extensive journals. The description of what the young aristocrat got from being around Giotto - Primo - the sensation of being safe, of being home, of being accepted even when he was being petulant and bratty and prickly, would be worth a _lot_. But he didn't get that from Timoteo; it was as if the older man held himself back, away from him. Not wanting another Lightning, but forced into by the requirements of holding his position.)

It was his roaming around the Iron Fort and his willingness to take certain tasks, if only to get away from the Don for periods of time - he found being constantly in his presence suffocatingly dull, when compared to his studies - that gave him the first hint that something weird was going on. Not that it was a dreadfully big hint; the CEDEF was always a bit strange, with it's perpetually bored Sky and the vicious - and broken - Arcobaleno who was _actually_ in charge, but the fact that Sawada was on _crutches_ and the staff were actually running scared of the Arcobaleno rather than just doing their jobs somewhat apathetically was _curious_.

Not that he discovered what the cause was that time; one of the terrified analysts just shoved the pile of papers he was there for into his hands. He did hear the little Arcobaleno threaten to break Sawada's other leg if he didn't get back behind his fucking desk and finish his fucking paperwork, and no he couldn't go to war with a Cloud without explaining to the Ninth in detail just _how_ he'd fucked up, with accompanying prods with her massively oversized shotgun.

He did mention that to Visconti when he returned; the Cloud Guardian was traditionally the one responsible for interacting with the CEDEF if they didn't _run_ it, but the older man just sighed and told him that the Ninth had been expecting Lal Mirch to lose her temper with Iemitsu for some reason, and that the woman was bound not to kill the Sky, so not to worry. And other than Skull de Mort, there were no unaligned Active Clouds outside the Alliance, so he must have misheard them.

That he thought, was short sighted, but he was 'only' the Lightning Guardian, so what did he know? He'd been trained in his Sun Flames with some of the current members of the Varia's lower echelons, and knew damn well that there were Flame Users outside of Italy and the Alliance. Sawada was evidence of that! As was the Arcobaleno Fon - both were grossly overpowered compared to the average member of the Flame Families.

And for that matter only one of the current set of Arcobaleno was from one of the main Families; the rest were either former civilians or from cadet lines that had married out. And Xanxus, too; even if he was the Ninth's bastard - he had his doubts; the kid was definitely Vongola, but he looked _nothing_ like his supposed father or siblings - he was the product of an out-cross and _significantly_ more powerful than the other three boys had been.

He went back to his reading and his practising; there had been an interesting trick detailed in one of Settimo's Lightning Guardian's journals that he wanted to learn. It had made him think about some of the lessons he'd had to sit through for medical physics; electricity had some _fascinating_ properties.


	2. Chapter 2

"..." He looked up from the medical journal he was reading on the sofa in the Ninth's office. The silence - and the shouting from the caller on the other end of the phone, which sounded familiar - spoke _volumes_. The Ninth pinched the bridge of his nose and held the phone away from his ear enough that he could _also_ just about hear the one-sided conversation in progress.

"How the hell did you miss something this big, Timoteo di Vongola?" He whistled softly. That was the Sun Arcobaleno, Reborn; he'd met him two or three times, the last with the newly fifteen year old Cavallone Heir in tow, just after he'd had his arm twisted into taking up the Lightning Ring. He was one of the few people who could get away with shouting at the Alliance's senior Don.

The voice continued angrily, "Sawada's son, Timoteo. The last surviving direct descendent of Primo. We found him Active and defending a group of other children after having escaped from the _Estraneo_. Who were supposed to have been disbanded!"

"..." The Ninth tried to interject, but the angry voice was on a roll.

"And I _quit_ , Timoteo." The voice had grown almost affectionate. The tutor contract that the Sun Arcobaleno was on - he had found it when sorting the Ninth's office out - was lucrative and only had two out clauses. One had expired and the other - he sat bolt upright. The Sun Arcobaleno had bonded? And bonded in a way that the _Vindice_ would acknowledge? Who the hell had been strong enough for one of the I Prescelti Set?

"Ganauche, go and get me Iemitsu, please. He has some explaining to do." The Ninth sounded tired, and weary. His Sun Flames twitched and rolled under his skin; there was something not quite right, but he was just the Lightning Guardian, so he resisted the urge to salute impudently and went to retrieve the CEDEF's Sky. It would take a while; he wondered idly if the Arcobaleno had broken anymore of the man's limbs.

She had. And she had an apprentice with her, a little kid, Flame Active and _strong_ ; and who hissed at him when he got too close - one who looked like - he blanked that thought. The boy couldn't be who he looked like. Two of the CEDEF upper echelon were designated to escort Sawada, who was in a wheelchair, both legs in full plaster cast and elbow pinned. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself snorting with laughter.

It was a bit of a faff getting Sawada into the Iron Fort, and he was relieved that Lal Mirch had designated two of her apparent minions specifically to escort the man; his wheelchair was beyond awkward, what with the two casts on his legs and the fact that he couldn't push himself thanks to the elbow pins. Why had none of the CEDEF Suns accelerated his healing? It'd be comparatively simple to do, unless the Arcobaleno had gotten creative with her own Flames, and there were no Flame traces on the man. For that matter, why didn't he have any Guardians? Not that it mattered; not unless the Ninth said it mattered.

And sometimes being the Lightning Guardian had it's perks; what with the way he was invisible to most people; almost as invisible as the little Misty Rain that leaned affectionately against the Arcobaleno, who had slid beneath an illusion and a thin coat of Rain Flames. Both of the CEDEF members summoned to help with Iemitsu had been sent out of the room, as had - for once - Visconti and Coyote Nougat. Not that Coyote Nougat or Visconti had gone without arguing, or suggesting that the Arcobaleno should leave, or even that Brow Nie Jr should heal Iemitsu. The Arcobaleno merely glared at the Sun Guardian and the arguing Cloud and Storm and toyed lightly with her pacifier.

"Iemitsu. Where is your _son_?" The Ninth's voice was quiet and lethal, full of menace in a way that it rarely was - he'd heard it perhaps three or four times since he had put on the Ring. Both Skies' eyes glowed orange, their Wills matched against each other; Sawada's Sky was impossible wide, far vaster than the Ninth's, but the Ninth's Will was bolstered by others, and Sawada stood alone. He folded, eyes dimming, but mouth resolutely shut. "Lal?"

"Reborn and Dino Cavallone have Tsunayoshi, Timoteo. He was found about twelve hours ago with a number of other children that had escaped the Estraneo's hands." The boy Lal had identified as Basil curls tighter into her side, hands clenched tight and the sparks of Flames dancing from knuckle to knuckle on the resultant fists. "As the reports I sent you detailed, the Estraneo have been abducting children, attempting to force them to be Flame Active and then selling them. Either as Flame Users or _toys_. Tsunayoshi is _feral_ , has been tortured, and has most of a double Set."

The fire in the Ninth's eyes glowed fiercely, and he turned his eyes on his External Advisor. "Well, Iemitsu?'

"Mei-Lin Hibari has my son and wife, the bitch Cloud, and I want them _back_." The one fist not in a plaster cast curls into a fist and the man's eyes light again.

"Given that you were fucking Oregano when the Estraneo took your son and injured your wife - who has gone _Active_ and bonded a Cloud and a Lightning so far, two more bonds than you've managed, Iemitsu Sawada - you will keep a civil tongue in your mouth when talking about Fon's daughter or I will break your jaw and your dominant hand as _well_." Lal snarled, and the little Misty Rain by her side clapped his hands gleefully, and bounced slightly in his seat.

"Iemitsu, _Reborn_ just rang me to tell me that he had your son safely in his custody. You will refrain from accusing the leading Cloud of Japan, the woman whose forbearance you have tried on a number of occasions, of _kidnapping_ , when it is your own negligence that put your son in peril." The CEDEF Sky made a protesting noise, but the Ninth away from him. "Ganache -" the Ninth's eyes were still glowing faintly, but even with the man riding his Dying Will, he didn't feel drawn to his Don and 'official' Sky, "- go and fetch Tumeric and Oregano and have them remove Iemitsu from my sight, before _I_ kill the man." He bit his cheek to avoid laughing, and left the room as requested. As the door shut, he felt the sweeping flare of multiple Flames, and let himself snort in amusement before heading off to fetch the specified individuals.


	3. Chapter 3

Iemitsu looked _cowed_ when he returned with the two specified individuals, and the little Misty Rain beside Lal Mirch looked absolutely _delighted_ ; the Arcobaleno looked amused too. He was almost disappointed that he hadn't gotten to watch. He moved to take up his position behind his Don again, but the Ninth shakes his head. "I have more errands for you to run, Ganache. Please go and assess the children, and then when you've seen them, take the private plane to Japan. Write me a report en route, and please go and talk to Mei-Lin Hibari and her Sky, and explain to her that my idiot nephew does not speak for the Vongola." He reached out to his Don’s Flames again, wanting reassurance; his own Flames had been volatile in the wake of putting on the Lightning Ring. His research suggested that being around his Sky would help, but the Ninth wasn’t interested in being a good Sky and he was being sent away. He still hesitated, wanting to see the Ninth shout at Iemitsu and Oregano - he can see that his Sky was gearing up to shout again, and it would be entertaining. "Go, Ganache. I need to know that his idiocy hasn't broken one of my two remaining, viable heirs." That was a firm dismissal, and he took the hint, and left the office.

The location of the children hadn't been specified, but he had a starting place; Reborn was currently training the Cavallone Heir. He flexed his fingers and allowed his Flames to dance over his fingers, an instinctive response to what he’d heard, and then clenched his fists and headed for the garage; others had killed the men responsible, and now was time to pick up the pieces, _not_ to go looking for people to beat the shit out of. He takes one of the motorbikes, and enjoys the ride; he can harden his skin in case of a crash, and none of the local police are stupid enough to stop one of the Vongola vehicles, even when they're breaking all the traffic regulations. The Cavallone's estate is on lockdown when he arrives, and it's only the fact that he's wearing the Vongola Lightning Ring - and can light it - and is willing to surrender his other weapons, that even gets him as far as the front door.

He's met at the front door by the Cavallone heir. Or rather - he recognises the Ring on the teenager's finger - the new Cavallone Decimo, though the house isn't in enough turmoil for the Cavallone Ninth to actually _be_ dead. That makes him raise a mental eyebrow; the young Sky in front of him must have done some spectacular to have the old man handing over control, _and_ for the Rings to accept him. The Cavallone had a set of Rings that were lesser siblings of the Vongola Rings, with a similar trial for the Sky. The Arcobaleno that joins them, and the casual way that Reborn leans into the teen, the Sun Ring and the obvious full Guardian bond only makes him more curious. As does the bloodstained whip at the teen's waist.

"Cavallone Decimo. The Vongola Ninth sent me to check on Tsunayoshi and the other children so I can reassure their parents." The teen's Flames flare, testing him, and the weight of them - he wants to know what's changed, because he has to be an order of magnitude stronger than _anything_ he'd have expected from the boy - the breadth of them, could challenge his notional Sky’s.

"Call me Dino, Ganache; my father's still the Don." The teen looked a little sheepish, his thumb rubbing absently over the Ring, the way he’d done for the first few weeks of wearing the Lightning Ring. He’d actually be tempted by that opening welcoming Sky, if not for fact that he already had a Sun. Some Flame-types shared a Sky better than others, and Suns were notorious for not sharing well.

The Arcobaleno swatted his Sky, and spoke, "baka-Dino, you're wearing the Family's Sky Ring. That means your father’s surrendered the Family into your hands."

The teen's cheeks coloured slightly. "Reborn -"

"The children, Decimo?" The interplay was entertaining, even as it rubbed salt in his lack of a bond with the Ninth, but he really was on a mission.

"Aren't here. But they are safe." He puts two and two together, knows that the teen in front of him attended the Academy and that he was of an age with Squalo Superbi, the current de facto commander of the Varia, and makes an assumption. "We're heading across to visit them this afternoon. We're waiting for someone to wake up, first."

"Can't you wake them up?" He’s impatient to see the kids, doesn’t recognise the name of the man the Sky in front of him is waiting to wake up.

"Have you heard of Shigure Kintoki, Ganache? It's one of the mythological Flame weapons." He winces; he can see where this was going. The mythological weapons were fucked up, and he couldn’t understand why anyone wielded one of them. They had minds of their own, and could drive their wielders to all sorts of fucked up things. "He bears Shigure Kintoki, and his son, the sword’s next wielder, is amongst those we found." Fuck, okay, that would explain why they were waiting. The man was likely half dead with exhaustion - and it was entirely possible he’d neither slept nor eaten since the children were taken - though there were ways the Sky across from him could help with that - or the Sun next to him - if they had to. But it would be better for the man to sleep it off, based on his reading. "The children are safe, and their caretakers are well equipped to deal with a dozen paranoid flame Active children."

"The Varia?" The young Cavallone twitches and he’s right.

"Yes. The Varia. And right now, I'm the only outsider who's getting into that compound without ending up dead, Ganache. No-one in, no-one out until either the kids feel safer - there's three Clouds in the group on the edge of raging, given the gross violations of their territory - I was thinking that wiping out the rest of the Estraneo and their little 'enablers' would make a good start on making them feel safer; and it’s been very enjoyable so far. Unlike the Ninth, I believe in being thorough when cleaning house." The acid in the young Sky's voice burns. But it's accurate; he was just old enough to remember how the Estraneo had been dealt with. The older Dons had just driven them underground, left their wives and children with them, despite the evidence that they were already experimenting on themselves.

Dino Cavallone's head tilts and there’s a curious ripple in his Flames. "He's awake. Once he’s been fed, Ganache, then we'll visit the children. Perhaps the Rain I'm hosting will have a messages for you to take to Namimori with you." He twitched at how well the teenage Sky was reading him. "After all that's where you're heading next, right?"


	4. Chapter 4

He sits quietly in his corner of the parlour, while the Rain who'd stumbled into the room uncovered his plate and exchanged inannities with his young host. “Dino -” There's a flare of the young Cavallone's Flames, and the surprise at their strength renders him temporarily speechless. He'd known the boy was strong - how could he be otherwise, when, like Xanxus, he had coaxed an Arcobaleno into being one of his Guardians - but hadn't expected him to be the Cavallone the way he currently was.

“I’m not Don Cavallone yet; that’s still my father, Tsuyoshi, and I suspect my cooks would appreciate the recipe.” He definitely hadn't caught all of what had happened over the past few weeks then. If it were as simple as 'just' being the stronger Sky, then Xanxus would have been able to pull the Vongola out from under Timoteo by force of Will; the boy had been strong enough to throw Flames around without the use of a focus, whilst only half-trained.

“You wear the Ring, and your Flames are absolutely saturating this compound. This is your Family to command.” He made a sound at the Rain's cool declaration; from the expressions on the Rain's face and the young Cavallone, it was taken as impatient, but that hadn't been how it had been meant. It was more disbelief; it normally took a Sky years to saturate an area with their Flames. “Who are you, anyway? You’re not one of Don Cavallone’s men; he wouldn’t be attempting to contain your influence on ‘his’ Family if you were.” He barely contained the flinch at the amount of killing intent the swordsman radiated at him. Christ, it was worse than half the Varia. But it did make him recognise what Dino's Flames - light and ethereal compared to his own Sky's - were doing to his Flames, and the subtlety with which the Cavallone had neutralised him was impressive.

"Autumn Rain,” the way Dino says the name suggests that it should mean something to him, and it has the ring of a Name, but it's not one he's familiar with, “meet Ganache the Third; he's the current holder of the Vongola Lightning Ring. His Don has sent him to check on young Tsunayoshi, as the boy carries Vongola blood. Ganache, Autumn Rain." He winces at the introduction; that had been a carefully aimed rebuke for him, and the equivalent of an open declaration of war with the Vongola if he chose to repeat it verbatim.

“And what are Don Vongola’s intentions towards my son and his Sky?” There's suddenly a sword - no, a Mist and Rain construct - one whose Flames spread and would have coated his own if not for the young Cavallone, and fuck, he'd known about Shigure Kintoki's class of weapon _intellectually_ , but that was no preparation for having it potentially turned on him.

“He’s one of my Sky’s two remaining, viable heirs.” That was the official word, anyway. He still wasn't convinced that the Rings would reject Xanxus; the boy looked far too much like Ricardo di Vongola to not be descended from him.

“If Tsunayoshi was so important, why weren’t there watchers in Namimori?” He didn't have a fucking clue. That was a CEDEF problem, and judging by the way Lal Mirch had broken their fucked up narcissist of a Sky, one that was currently being resolved.

He yanked the goddamn Lightning Ring off his finger, and balanced it in front of himself on the table, leaving it to spin like a child’s toy. With it gone from his finger, the Rain and Sky Flames curled tighter around him, and he let himself be honest for the first time in six months. “I have no idea. I’ve only been his Lightning for three months, and I hate it. I’m an Electric Sun, a healer, not a fucking meat shield.” His Flames flared Sunny, relieved to be free of the weight of the Ring, and Dino barely manages to smother them (with a far more gentle hand that Timoteo had ever shown him) before he blew every fuse in the Villa by Activating _all_ of the unshielded electronics. “He treats me as an errand boy, and barely tells me a fucking thing; about the only perk to the damn job is that I can get into the heart of the Vongola Archives with the Ring, and I’d give that up in a heartbeat for a competent Sky that actually treated me as a human being. He’s even set me up to have an irate and frustrated Cloud take her frustrations with the idiot he calls his External Advisor out on me, for Christ’s sake.”

Fuck. The other two are speechless, and he knows he just said too much. He needed a goddamn drink, and judging by the room they were in, he might be shit out of luck. “Please tell me there’s alcohol in here somewhere, Cavallone? I need a fucking drink.”

"In the cabinet." He sighs in relief and makes a beeline for it. He's tempted to just take a slug of whisky from the bottle, but forces himself to at least _pretend_ to be drinking an Irish coffee; even if it was very much one in Xanxus's style.

He downs half of it, using the harsh burn of the alcohol to recenter himself, and then turns back to the table. Dino Cavallone was nibbling on a pastry, but the Rain looked distracted, and half-hypnotised by the sword-construct he wielded, and the young Sky's voice was pitched to cut through that when he spoke. "When you're done eating, Tsuyoshi, we'll go and see Takeshi and the others." He curbs his impatience, remembering his early conversation with Dino, and the greedy clawing hunger of it when Tsuyoshi had called it to his hand and instead poured himself another Irish coffee. He'd metabolise the alcohol before he came into any sort of proximity to the children; he wasn't _stupid_.

Except that the young Cavallone doesn't let him enjoy his buzz for very long. When the Rain is done with his breakfast, there's a burst of Sunny Sky Flames, and he has one hell of a hangover for thirty seconds before it, too, was gone and he needed the bathroom _urgently_. "There's a bathroom through the far door, Ganache." There was definite amusement in the Sky's voice, and he remembered how much time the boy had spent under Reborn's tutelage.

He barely makes it in time, and okay, he's never drinking in front of the young Cavallone if he can force his body to do _that_. He's scowling slightly when he returns to the breakfast parlour. Dino grins. "I wasn't going to let you in the limousine, like that, Ganache, nor around Tsu-kun and his Elements; his Storm-Cloud - the Falco heir, who has disowned himself - has eviscerated three people he disapproves of being near his Sky so far. One sentry, and two Varia mooks who didn't take Squalo's warnings seriously."

He can only grumble at that. He understands, but that had been undignified, and he was hungry now, damnit. The young Cavallone doesn't say anything more, choosing instead to herd him and Autumn Rain out to a waiting limousine. He has a suspicion this all for show, but he doesn't call the boy on it. Reborn and Romario are both waiting for them, with a reasonably strong Mist in the driver's seat. (And an alteration on the vehicle, and fuck, okay, he understands even better now, because if he'd still been buzzed, he'd have thrown up)

Their transit time to the Varia compound is about half the length it should be. It also was apparently prearranged in some way, because they hadn't been stopped once. Last time he'd had to visit (before he'd become Ganache, admittedly), he'd been asked for identification seven times during the approach, and it had only been the fact that the Sun Officer had expected him for training that had gotten him in and out with his hide intact. (He hasn't put the Lightning Ring back on. Doesn't want to, in fact, and has it in his pocket, surrounded by a sphere of his own Flames. It wasn't _his_ and he _refused_ to be bound up in the same way now he'd realised what it was doing to him.)

"Voooiii. We should have never allowed the Prince to adopt the Pack, Bucking Horse."

"Yes, well. He's their age; I doubt there was anything we could do to stop it Squalo." The Rain Officer made a grumbling sound.

"The Female Cloud killed Ottavio this morning. With a set of _hair-sticks_ that one of the Mist-twins made for her. And her Lightning is eyeing Levi like she's planning to replicate the feat." He winced. He'd been expecting to hear that the rescuees were sleeping off the events of the last month, not attacking Varia Officers. "I did warn the idiots to leave them to Belphegor and Mammon and I, but would the shitty idiots listen? No -"

The Rain Officer twitched when he finally spotted him, his Sword dropping into his hand, and his Flames sliding combat sharp. "Voooiii. What the fuck are you doing here? I banned all of you from the Compound until your shitty Sky gives the Boss back!"

"Take me to my son, young Sword Emperor, and providing he's safe and healing, then I'll show you the first four forms of Shigure Soen Ryuu." Autumn Rain's voice is cool as he cuts into Squalo's rant, and the Rain Officer looks sorely tempted to break off but shakes his head.

"Tempted. The Prince will take you down to the brats; I _swore_ that I'd beat the shit out of any of them -" Squalo's sword was pointed at him, and at least it wasn't the damn construct that Autumn Rain carried, "- if they tried to step foot in _my_ territory without returning the Boss. I don't break my vows."

"Oh, for fuck sake." He pulled the ball of Lightning with the damn Ring in it out of his pocket. "I don't want the damn thing. Lussuria can vouch for me, Squalo, and I'll pay for your Mist Officer to either take a look at it or take it off my hands entirely." His second outburst of the morning - complete with raging Sun Flames - surprises everyone. Or at least everyone who is left; Autumn Rain and the young Cavallone had accompanied Prince the Ripper off - along with both of the Cavallone's more mundane Guardians - Reborn was still watching in amusement, as were a number of Varia members he could 'feel' concealed around the entrance hall. "I suspect the damn thing is cursed, given it took another Sky's presence to allow me to take it off, despite the way it cut me off from half my fucking Flames, and I really don't want to be forced to put it back on."

“Mou. That’s not the Ring. That’s just the Ninth wanting a full set of Guardians at any costs.” The Mist Officer shimmered into place on Squalo’s shoulder, and he was so done with today. “And the Vongola Rings have the potential to be S-plus-class focuses. If you had an A-class focus you’d have access to your Sun Flames, Niccola.” A small object flew past him, and Reborn caught it and slid it onto his finger, and a sense of dread pooled in his gut. “I will debt the information to the Ninth's account.” He caught a dark-blue Flame out of the corner of his eye, which was gone before he turned his head, and Reborn was wearing an unholy smile. He scrubbed his eyes; he was too tired to deal with this shit.

“I have to see the children and then go sooth an angry Cloud. Can we do this without a fight, please, Squalo.”

"Voooii. They're not _children_. They're Active fucking Flame Users with _opinions_ on how they should be treated; put them back in civvy homes, and as they've already proved, if anyone they don't like tries to touch one of them, they're capable of making the Prince look restrained." The teen Rain’s lips curved. “And if you mean Kasumi, she already knows that her son and his Sky is safe. Kyoya’s first demand was that we notify her and Fon as to where he was, and Mammon obliged for obvious reasons. She’s only still in Japan because her new Sky needs her, and she’s trying to avoid causing a diplomatic incident, and as tempted as I am to take that Ring from you, put it away for now; you’ll need it a bit longer, unless you want to fly to Japan in cattle class.” He harrumphed, but Squalo had a point; if he wanted to use the private jet, he’d need it as proof of identity.

“If you’ve already informed the parents that you have the children ‘safe’ here, why am I going to Japan?” It was a rhetorical question, and he shook his head, and the almost stumbled as Reborn leapt up onto his shoulder, and balanced there, holding onto his hair.

“It doesn’t matter Baka-Ganache. And the children are calm enough that you might be able to see them now without getting your throat ripped out.” He twitched and coated his throat with Lightning Flames just in case.

“Fine.” The Sun Arcobaleno was a menace, he decided; he steered him through the Compound by tugging on his hair, and the Rain Officer was snickering at him, and he wanted to go back to bed and pretend the last month had never happened.

The children turn out to be in an adapted set of training rooms, and he can see the logic; it keeps them all together, and the rooms were designed to be easily fixed and were defensible to boot, but given everything he’s been told about them, seeing the young Cavallone and Autumn Rain being hugged by some of the children, distracts him enough that he barely deflects the lethally sharp hair-stick aimed at his kidney from one of the young female Lightnings.

“Voooiii. No killing without a contract, unless it’s Levi, brat if you want to follow your Cloud. And you’re not up to facing his Sky yet.” That wasn’t comforting. “I did warn you, Ganache.” The tiny Lightning hisses like a cat when Squalo picks her up but settles in the teen’s arms, rather than try to stab _him_. “If you're going to use those hair-sticks as a weapon, Kyoko, you need to study anatomy; you would have been done better stabbing him like _this_." The words are quiet and aimed at the little girl now riding the Rain Officer's hip, the action demonstrated on an illusion courtesy of the Mist Officer, he assumes.

He takes the hint and observes a little more carefully this time, back pressed to a wall like the Cavallone’s Rain, as a precaution. It means he actually notices the dynamics between the group. Noticed that off to one side of the room, there was Trident Shamal hugging a pair of children who looked like the Falco heir and heiress - though now he looked, they both had a surprisingly strong resemblance to the doctor-assassin - and that all three of the Clouds had Lightnings orbiting around them, grounding them. (He couldn't imagine doing the same thing for Visconti. He wondered what that meant; was it something wrong with him, or with the other Guardian?)


End file.
